Auckland Folk Festival returns in January 2021

The 48th Auckland Folk Festival returns in January 2021 with a diverse and eclectic lineup of artists from Aotearoa. 

The three-day celebration takes place over Auckland Anniversary Weekend (Fri 29th Jan – Mon 1st Feb). 2021 brings together a unique line up of NZ’s best to celebrate and perfectly solidify the strength of the broad genre that is ‘folk’. 

New Zealand’s largest folk festival returns with a proudly homegrown lineup to welcome in 2021. Auckland Folk Festival arrives at Kumeu Showgrounds for its 48th annual festival with an inclusive array of music and dance.

Spread across its six stages will be The Eastern, Delaney Davidson & Barry Saunders, Jenny Mitchell, Aro, The Black Quartet, The Harmonic Resonators, Looking For Alaska to name a few (full list below) and with more to be announced.

2020 was a tough year for the events industry and musicians have been hit hard. Auckland Folk Festival returns as a celebration, not just of those artists performing on the stage, but for those who want to jam, collaborate and see old friends. Celebrating also the strength and diversity of NZ with the festival being both proudly culturally and gender diverse (an ethos the festival has maintained for many years). With camping spots in the heart of the festival, jams will go on well into the night.

“The music never stops at the festival, except for perhaps a brief minute in the early morning when there is a change of the guard from the all nighters to the early starters. Jamming is crucial to the ethos of the festival, providing opportunities for everyone to play and create,” Artistic Director Finn McLennan-Elliott comments.

“We are very happy to share the first of our 2021 lineup. We are especially proud of its diversity, something we’ve strived for and succeeded at for many years. Folk music is a fluid genre, one that is more about community and people than about exact instrumentation, and we are excited to present a lineup that showcases many different sides of folk.”

Whether you are dancing the night away in one of the three ceilidhs, learning how to folk dance, enjoying a concert or participating in a workshop there is something for everyone. Food trucks are there to replenish or revitalise.

The ever popular Kids Stage returns, with its ever growing maze and early to late activities for young ones. Children under 10 come free to the festival and have a dedicated programme of music and workshops. This year sees iconic Wellington musician and man about town Gerry Paul as the headline Kids Stage guest bringing his fantastic Elephant Tree Band along for the show.

All marquees are covered but open sided, and as will be the song of the summer, the festival will be keeping a close ear for any government announcements or regulations for gatherings and will ensure a safe environment for all. With an entire showgrounds to spread across, there is plenty of space for all.

All signs point to Helensville, and you can find the Auckland Folk Festival along that highway in Kumeu, not even twenty minutes from the centre of the city, for a sunny last weekend of January.

First lineup announcement: 
The Eastern
Delaney Davidson & Barry Saunders
The Harmonic Resonators
The Black Quartet
Aro
Jenny Mitchell
Looking for Alaska
Sadie & Jay
Liddiard and Louise
Shimna’s List
Rough Town
Raylee Bradfield
Ethno
Polytropos
John Sutherland

Tickets are on sale now via Eventfinda. Early bird tickets close December 31st. 
Festival timetable released Jan 2021.

About the 48^th Auckland Folk Festival
Auckland Anniversary weekend
Friday 29 January to Monday 1 February 2021
Kumeu Showgrounds, Auckland
www.aucklandfolkfestival.co.nz
www.facebook.com/aklfolkfest/
Artwork credit: David Jones

The Auckland Folk Festival is an annual folk music and dance festival that brings to Auckland a diverse selection of the best in contemporary and traditional folk music for the enjoyment of music lovers of all ages. It is New Zealand’s biggest folk festival with 3000 campers and day visitors expected over the weekend.

The 48th edition of the festival will feature a lineup drawn exclusively from artists from Aotearoa, shining a spotlight on our very own. In a world of uncertainty and confusion, Auckland Folk Festival is a family friendly, open air and inclusive environment. All five venues are covered marquees, our village green is surrounded by trees and informal jams pop up all through the day and night across the entire Showgrounds site.
A wide range of food and drinks will be on site along with music and folk market stalls. In keeping with the family atmosphere, alcohol is not sold on site.